Philadelphia Phillies’ veteran closer Craig Kimbrel had a special night in his team’s 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday. He not only got his 400th career save, becoming just the eighth player in MLB history to reach the mark but also did it against a team with which he started his professional career.
Kimbrel delivered a scoreless ninth inning against the Braves and is now six of six in closing appearances in the 2023 season.
“I’m happy it was here in Atlanta,” said Kimbrel after the game. “I am happy the majority of my family was here to see it. Getting to take it in and enjoy it with them is great.”
Kimbrel needed 730 MLB appearances to reach his 400 saves. Only Mariano Rivera (697 games), Trevor Hoffman (706 games), and Kenley Jansen (778 games) reached the mark in fewer games than the 34-year-old player.
Craig Kimbrel spent the first five years of his MLB career in Atlanta, earning four All-Star appearances and setting the franchise record with 186 saves during that period. He later played for San Diego Padres and the Boston Red Sox, among other teams, earning four more All-Star nods and winning a World Series ring in 2018. He joined Phillies on a one-year, $10 million deal this past offseason.
